Aconitine detected on 15th-century Chinese surgical scissors

Chemical traces of the toxic plant compound aconitine were detected on surgical scissors recovered from a Ming-era tomb, indicating that topical anaesthetics were used in China more than 600 years ago. @Nature reported the finding on the basis of research published in the journal Antiquity. The study, led by Ling, X.

10347 in 2026. The scissors are described as fifteenth-century surgical tools. The image credit for the scissors is given as Ling, X. et al. 0). The article notes that anaesthetics are now part of every operating room, but physicians have been trying to reduce pain from surgery for centuries.

The chemical evidence on the Ming-era instruments provides direct support for the earlier use of topical compounds in surgical settings. 1038/d41586-026-01669-4.